One prominent example of synecdoche in T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock can be found in the line where the speaker refers to “the yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window panes.” In this instance, the fog is not just a weather phenomenon; it also symbolizes confusion, uncertainty, and the atmosphere of the city.
By using ‘fog’ to represent a broader emotional landscape, Eliot creates a sense of disconnection and suffocation often felt in modern urban life. The fog serves as a part (the physical manifestation of the environment) that reflects the whole (the speaker’s emotional turmoil and societal anxieties). This use of synecdoche effectively deepens the reader’s understanding of Prufrock’s character and enhances the poem’s exploration of existential dread and isolation.